Helleborus plant named ‘Candy Love’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘Candy Love’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; strong and moderately vigorous growth habit; numerous greenish white-colored flowers with reddish-colored margins; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus×nigercors.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Candy Love’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus, botanically known as Helleborus×nigercors, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Candy Love’.

The new Helleborus originated from a cross-pollination in Oostkamp, Belgium, of a proprietary selection of Helleborus niger designated as Wilgenbroek Selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Helleborus lividus, also designated as Wilgenbroek Selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Oostkamp, Belgium in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Zandevoort, The Netherlands since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Candy Love has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Candy Love’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Candy Love’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Strong and moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Numerous greenish white-colored flowers with reddish-colored         margins.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of the parent selections. Plants of the new Helleborus are more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections and also differ in flower color.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of the Helleborus×nigercors cultivar Pink Beauty, not patented. Plants of the new Helleborus differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Pink Beauty in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are taller than plants of the         cultivar Pink Beauty.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the cultivar Pink Beauty.     -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus are more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Pink Beauty.     -   4. Plants of the new Helleborus flower for a longer period of         time than plants of the cultivar Pink Beauty.     -   5. Plants of the new Helleborus and the cultivar Pink Beauty         differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Pink Beauty         have light pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Candy Love’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a close up view of a typical leaf of ‘Candy Love’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Candy Love’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Oostkamp, Belgium in containers during the winter in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 4° C. to about 15° C. and night temperatures ranged from about −1° C. to about 8° C. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus×nigercors cultivar Candy Love. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Helleborus             niger designated as Wilgenbroek Selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Helleborus             lividus designated as Wilgenbroek Selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About six weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy, fibrous. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial. Upright             and mounded plant habit; flattened globular. Strong and             moderately vigorous growth habit. Leaves and flowering stems             developing from the plant base. About nine leaves per basal             rosette.         -   Plant height.—About 23.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 52 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Palmately compound with five leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 19.2 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 12.1 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet length.—About 14.4 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet width.—About 5.6 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet length.—About 11.4 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Narrowly elliptic to obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B to             137C. Developing foliage, lower surface: 200B. Mature             foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 144A. Mature             foliage, lower surface: 191A; venation, 165A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 11.6 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A tinged with 174A to 174B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single rotate flowers arranged             on panicles; flowers nodding. Freely flowering habit, about             14 flowers develop per inflorescence. Petals not observed.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants             flower from December through April in Belgium.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 145C to 145D flushed with 185A to 185B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 22.2 cm. Diameter: About             23 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 8 cm. Depth (height): About 2.4 cm.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About             3.8 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 145C to 145D; with development, color becoming             closer to 150D; towards the base, 144B to 144C. When             opening, lower surface: Between 145C and 150D; flushed with             182C to 182D. Fully opened, upper surface: Between 150D and             155A; towards the base, 144C; with development, color             becoming closer to 146B to 146C, towards the margins, 178A             to 178B. Fully opened, lower surface: 150D flushed with             182C; with development, color becoming closer to 197A,             towards the margins and veins, 178A.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About             15.6 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Aspect: About 25° from             vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B to 144C             heavily overlain with 176A.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 4.3 cm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Aspect: About 30° from vertical.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144C to 144D heavily             overlain with 176A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 70.             Filament length: About 1.7 cm. Filament color: 150D. Anther             shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             4B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 4D. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: About five. Pistil length: About             1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: 150D. Style             length: About 1 cm. Style color: 144B to 144C. Ovary color:             144C to 144D. Nectaries: Arrangement: About 12 subtending             the filaments. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter, at apex: About             3 mm. Diameter, at base: About 1 mm. Color: 144A.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures from about −20° C. to about 30° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Helleborus. 

1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘Candy Love’ as illustrated and described. 